System of communication with divers



(No Model.)

P. HUNTLBY.

SYSTEMAOII COMMUNICATION WITH DIVERS. No. 329,391. Patented 001;. 27, 1885.

"WIN I UNITED STATES PATENT OEETCE.

PERRY HUNTLEY, OF BRIDGEBOR'I, CONNECTICUT.

SYSTEM OF COMMUNICATION WITH DIVERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 329,391, dated October 27, 1885.

Application 'filed March 19, 1885. Serial No. 159,435. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PERRY HUNTLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a System of Communicating with Divers, and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to produce a means of communicating with divers when they are under water, by which conversation may be carried onwithout difficulty between the diver and a person above the surface. When working about sunken vessels or in a diving-bell, it is often amatter of vital importance to the diver that he should be able to communicate instantly and definitely with the persons managing the air-pump and the life-line. It is likewise many times essential for the person having charge of the operations to give directions to the diver without the ne. cessity of his coming to the surface, which causes in the aggregate a serious loss of time, especially if a bell has to be raised. In the laying of submarine foundations it is necessaryquite frequently to give directions tothe diver, and in the placing of heavy stones, &c., by means of cranes much time can be saved by enabling the diver to give minute directions to the persons managing the crane. Heretofore for the most part the means of communication between the diver and those above the surface that have been found practicable have been a limited number of signals consisting of pulls upon the life-line. As this means of communication has been necessarily limited to a few easily-understood signals, it has resulted that the diver has been frequently compelled to come to the surface to give or receive directions. In deep-water diving this is a matter of considerable importance, on account of the delay which it occasions. By the use of my invention all difficulties of this nature are avoided, and constant communica tion may be kept up between the diver and a person above the surface.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specication, Figure l shows my invention in use upon a small vessel, which is shown in cross-section. v It will of course be understood, however, that it may be used upon land as well as upon a vessel. Fig. 2 illustrates a slight modification.

A indicates an air-pump of any desired construction. Forconveniencein illustration, I have shown the ordinary three-cylinder pump. The particular' style of air-pump used, however, is not material to the operation of my invention.

Bis a pipe or tube leading from the airpump and coupled to a hub projecting from an air-tight chamber, C.

D is a flexible pipe or tube coupled to ahub upon the opposite side of the chamber, and coupled at its other end to the helmet or any suitable part of the divers armor, as commonly done heretofore. The air-chamber C is the essential feature of my invention. It may be made of metal or wood, but must necessarily be air-tight. It is provided with a door, E, which is so packed as to be air-tight, and with any desired number of windows, F, preferably made double or of heavy plateglass.

G and H are two short flexible pipes within the chamber, which are coupled bto hubs within the chamber corresponding to those to which pipes B and D are attached, pipe G being continuous with pipeB from the airpump, and pipe H continuous with pipe D, which is connected to the diver-s armor.

Pipes G and II are made sufficiently long to be joined together, and are provided at their inner ends, respectively, with the parts K K of an ordinary union, so that when desired the two pipes may be coupled together instantly. Chamber C may be of any desired size, but is preferably made just large enough to hold one person in a sitting position.

In use pipes G and H are left uncoupled, as shown in Fig. l. The air-pump is operated in the usual manner, and forces air into the chamber through pipes B and G, and from the chamber through pipes D and II to the diver. The air within the chamber will of course be compressed to the density which it is desired to furnish to the diver-a matter to be regulated according to the depth of water in which the diver is Working. The person within the chamber, by holding the end of pipe II near his ear, is able to hear not only TOO every word spoken, but every sound made by the diver, and the diver is able to hear with perfect ease conversation addressed to him by the person within the chamber, the end of pipe H being held near the mouth of the speaker, the same as in using an ordinary speaking-tube. I have found in practice that I am able to converse as readily through a long tube as through a short one, which is owing to the fact that the deeper the diver descends the greater must be the density of the air furnished to him through the pipe or tube attached to his armor.

The means of communication between the person within the air-chamber and persons outside is not of the` essence of my invention. It will be noticed in the drawings that the chamber is amply provided with windows, through which any signs made by the person within may be readily seen outside, or writing upon a slate may be' read through a window, and frequently conversation can be understood through the walls of the chamber. Vhen the person within the chamber desires to leave it, the ends of pipes G and H should of course be coupled together by union K K.

In the modification illustrated in Fig. 2 I have shown a single pipe only instead of two within the chamber, and have shown it connected at both ends, so that there is direct connection through the chamber between the airpump and the diver.

L is the usual life-line, one end of which is fastened about the waist of the diver, the other end being held by an assistant above the surface.

I have not shown a diving-bell, as it forms no portion of my invention, and the use of the chamber is the same whether the diver is in a bell or suit.

Having thus described my invention, I claiml. The combination, with an air-pump and a diving-suit, of an intermediate air-tight chamber having a door and windows, a pipe or tube leading from the pump to said chamber, and a pipe or tube leading from said chamber and connected to the diving-suit.

2. rIhe combination, with an air-pump, a divers suit or armor, and an intermediate airtight chamber7 of pipes leading from said divers suit or armor and coupled to the chamber, and a pipe or pipes within the chamber coupled thereto and connecting with the divers pipe, whereby a person within the chamber is enabled to communicate with the diver through said pipe.

3. The air-pump, divers suit, and an intermediate air-tight chamber having windows and a door, in combination with pipes leading from the air-pump and the divers suit to said chamber, a pipe or pipes within said chamber, and a union, whereby direct connection may be established between the airpump and the diver.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PERRY HUN TLEY.

Witnesses:

A. M. Woos'rna, WM. A. JONES. 

